Reviews

Artists: Brooke Sharkey
Venue: Tamesis Dock
Town: London
Date: 8th July 2010
Website: www.myspace.com/brookesharkiii

If you are going to hold a party on a boat, below decks, in July you really have to expect it to be hot, sticky, and just a little bit claustrophobic: and it was.

This intense, oppressive atmosphere adversely affected the first half of the launch of Brooke Sharkey's debut EP 'A taste of truth' and after a couple of tracks she was suggesting cutting the set into two so everyone could take a break to get some fresh air.

At this point Sharkey seemed like many other artists with a very good voice but lacking in any kind of presence as she went through the motions like an office working waiting for five o'clock on a Friday afternoon.

However, the break did her the power of good. She lost a few people from the audience including, briefly, her guitarist/bass player/percussionist Chris Bond as he was slower to get down from the top deck than either Sharkey or her cellist. Bond was also the support act and seemed totally at home dressed in shorts, tee shirt and sandals finger picking his guitar and singing gentle folky songs like an interesting, listenable Jack Johnson.

As she was waiting for Bond to appear Sharkey gave an impromptu performance of Dylan's 'Don't think twice, it's alright' and in doing so changed. She now commanded this candle lit cushion strewn space and as the skies got darker, the tide rose and the air cooled there was no better place in London to be. There was now a relaxed authority in her wavey, fluttery voice that does not so much hold a note but extend it and it made the second part of the show fly so quickly that it seemed to last half as long as the first.

If she has more songs as good as "Les amoureux" then an album launch party must surely be hot on the heels of this EP one and, if she plays like she did after the break, it will be a very special one.

The Jacket

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